A look back at a wild and woolly 2002
The Post adds a full year in review to yesterday’s racial tension summary. The Post included Erpenbeck in its review, while the Enquirer did not. Both newspapers covered that story like a pimple faced girl collecting Backstreet Boys posters. I look for the Erpenbeck trial/plea to be just as over covered. Beyond those who got screwed by Erpenbeck, does anyone else care about the story? It is news, but how many weeks did they go with an Erpenbeck front-page story? I could have taken a little CCV propaganda or another white guilty story, just to break up the monotony. Where's a good OJ story when you need one?

King breakfast violates boycott, son says
Is King III serious? Does he expect the Mayor of a city to contribute to the boycott of his city? That is galling. That is ludicrous. That sounds typical for someone whoring for local credibility.

Year 2002 in Review
City Beat had several stories on the year in review on news stories and issues for 2002.
Year of the Status Quo covering the elections
Police Deals covering police-community relations
People of the Year
Sports: More of the Same
Hearing Voices a summary of letters and editorials from throughout the year.

The Enquirer provided the top stories, people, happenings, and moments of 2002.
U.S., World Year in Review: Top stories that shaped our news
Local News Year in Review: Top stories that shaped our news
Sports Year in Review: Five People Who Stood Out

Business Year in Review: Top happenings that shaped our news
Tempo Year In Review: Five moments that mattered

The Cincinnati Post settled on just a summary story on racial tensions: "City made effort to heal its racial tensions in 2002."

City Beat is not Immune
Reports are that Kabaka Oba, the main spokesperson for the racist black separatist group the Black Fist, announced last week that his group would be protesting in front of the City Beat offices. It is not clear to me why they are protesting City Beat, but it may have to due with Kathy Wilson's comments in a prior column:

Suddenly we're bigots of the loud-mouthed variety. We make generalizations based on revisionist history to further our own agendas and to reclaim the sick-hot spotlight of "they done done me wrong."

Case in point: The Dec. 4 "rally" on Fountain Square by the Black Fist, an ad hoc group of protesters and hangers-on who demonstrated against the placement of a menorah. This year it was a menorah and not a cross in the ongoing holiday festivities I like to call "Who's on First, and Is It a Religious Symbol?"

I don't know if this will turn into much of anything, but it funny seeing the Black Fist bite the hand of the only print media outlet that take them seriously.

Shooter's Wife Called 911 After Murder-Suicide
Sounds like a love triangle or a perceived one. This article has one problem. Is a suicide considered a homicide? If that is the case, I would be surprised if the number of 64 homicides includes all of the suicides from this year.

Ideas, etc.: Big Red Machine's Home Gone
Kevin Holtsberry, a fellow Ohio Blogger for the upcoming Polstate.org, comments on the implosion of Riverfront Stadium.

The Old South, Up North
In a surprise this column is not about Cincinnati. I am sure the boycotters are disappointed this story attacks Milwaukee, instead of Cincinnati, for not holding the hand of the black community there and telling them how to live their lives. This is the paradox vexing our society. The black community wants the white people to give them “stuff.” That is what the boycott is about, that is what this column advocates. The governments try and do that, and have tried to do that, but nothing short of large cash payments with no strings attached will satisfy the hotheaded boycotters (aka reparations). A No strings policy is not going to happen. Money will not cure the poor. All it will do is provide a temporary respite from suffering. If you want to reduce the number of poor people, education and personal effort are the only solutions. Additionally, boycotters expect instant gratification. Money will make their community prosper, is what they think. They are dreaming. It takes solid a community with a social structure that can function without handouts. Perpetual charity will only breed the need for more charity.

The problem that exists is the bottom line issue for the black community. Assimilate or fend for yourselves. Learn to fit into the general society, or make your own. On Friday Jim Clingman filled in for Jay Love on the Buzz. It was an afternoon filled with bigoted callers railing on what they claim has been done to “them”. They talked about assimilation, but failed to really talk about what it was. They just grunted out racist comments on why they would never allow themselves to fit into the mainstream culture. They sound to me like the Strom Thurmonds and Trent Lotts circa 1960 rallying against segregation.

I wonder how many reading me are going to say I have bigoted views or that I have made racist statements. I guess the boycotters who regularly read me will think that, which is too bad. It is understandable that they the see all white people who don’t agree with them as racist. That is a common human failing that has fallen on many conservative movements as well as this progressive-populist movement. Those who disagree are out to get you. It falls into “Themism” which I have talked about on my other blog. It spreads like a flu on a cruise ship, and will take down this city if everyone, and I mean everyone of every race/creed/color/religion etc, does not stand up to all instances of this kind of uncheck bigotry. Black separatists can’t go unchecked. Homophobic politicians can’t go unchecked. Theocratic fascist can’t go unchecked. No one can go unchecked. If you want to check me, the comments link is right below.